Light in the Dark
by Istalindar
Summary: Formerly The Choice. Hermione, one of the most successful aurors in Ministry history, comes up on an assassin's list, and is then promptly kidnapped by none other than Draco Malfoy. Unsurprisingly, she's confused. Now with a sequel: Divided We Stand, United We Fall
1. Chapter 1

This story was originally called the Choice, but as I wrote it it gained a new name which I thought suited it better, so here is the story formerly known as the Choice. Please tell me what you think. Istalindar.

&

Hermione let the letter slip from loose fingers and flutter to the floor. She turned her head to stare out the diamond-paned window into the dark night, the light of streetlights miles away from the extensive grounds of Malfoy Manor.

It hadnt been her choice to come here.

If she'd had a choice it would have been the last place she would have gone.

_Dear Hermione. _

His voice seemed to echo in her ear, the sound coming up from the discarded letter lying on the floor. He was gone now, or so he said.

_Your freedom is now a matter of your own choosing, and there is little more I can do for you_.

But it was his house. So how was he meant to leave it? She supposed he meant he was leaving her, which was ironic, since he had brought her to him in the first place.

_As far as I know, the danger is past…_

He had her best interests at heart, she was sure. He had when he had kidnapped her, which he had told her from the start and she had only understood three months later.

---

She slipped into the darkened flat late that night, dropping her wand and keys on the kitchen table and stripping the protective clothing from her tired form as she headed for the bathroom. The flat was silent, as always, since Julia had moved out there was no more returning to blaring music and rampant mess. Instead everything was quiet and immaculately tidy, except…

On the floor of her bedroom, her pink satin thong was lying in the middle of the floor, making her pause at the doorway. She knew for a fact that the thong had been in the drawer that morning, because she had considered wearing it and had decided against it, deciding that with what she was wearing it was neither necessary nor practical. She had put it back in the drawer and gotten dressed.

So why was it in the middle of her floor?

The idiot she was, leaving her wand in the kitchen. _Call yourself an auror_? She chided herself with annoyance.

_Shut up and concentrate._

She relaxed slightly and let her senses take over, trying to work out if there was anything she should be worried about. A soft sound behind her made her whirl, and then there was a tight hand over her mouth and the overwhelming smell of chloroform and then she was spiralling into darkness.

She woke on a soft bed in a dimly lit room. She was still fully dressed; lying on top of the dark green satin covers which seemed to match the prevailing colour scheme, what little she could make out of it. The room had old-fashioned furniture – a four poster bed, an elegant vanity with a stool before it. There were french-doors to the left, which opened onto, she assumed, a balcony.

Hermione slipped off the bed and padded over to the French window, trying the handle. It was locked.

"Miss?" Hermione whirled, and saw a house-elf standing by the door, bringing to attention to the entrance.

"Yes?" Hermione answered cautiously.

"Twinny has orders for Miss to have a bath and then to come down to dinner." The house elf said, twisting a corner of its pillowcase uniform around one long finger.

"Does she?" Hermione asked. "Whose orders?"

"Twinny is not allowed to say. But Twinny would like miss just to please have a bath so miss can go to dinner and talk to master."

"Master?" Hermione demanded. "Who?"

"Twinny cannot say. Come miss." Twinny opened the door behind her, leading Hermione into a huge white and silver tiled bathroom, with a huge sunken bath in the corner. Twinny turned on the taps and water gushed into the pool from both the bottom and the top of the pool.

"What bubbles would miss like?"

"Lime." Hermione answered absently, looking around. The familiar sharp smell of the citrus fruit pervaded her senses, and she turned back to the rapidly filling tub. "Where am I?"

"Master's house." Twinny answered simply, turning off the taps and facing Hermione. "If miss would give Twinny her clothes, Twinny can get them cleaned."

Hermione self-consciously stripped to her tank top and girl-boxers, before pausing. "You can go now." She said, wincing at the bossiness of her tone. "I'll leave these out."

"If miss wants." Twinny disappeared with a small pop, and Hermione finished stripping and stepped down the tile steps into the deep hot bath.

"Thank god for hot water." She muttered as she submerged up to her chin, the hot water soaking her still-aching muscles and uncoiling the tension there. The day itself had been hectic – Voldemort had only recently been conquered, taking Harry 20 years to finally do it, and now, six months on, the wizarding world was still rampant with deatheaters and all sorts of nasty monsters that didn't keep to the 'under the bed' or 'in the wardrobe' domains, preferring to eat small children in broad daylight in the middle of the street and belch fire at anyone who tried to stop them.

Hermione regarded her left arm, reddened and blistered, but not incinerated, thanks to the dragonhide protective clothing. It was still really sore, and stung like hell when she put it in the water, but she was beyond caring.

The water felt _good._

"Miss?" Hermione jerked in surprise, water sloshing over the sides onto the floor. Twinny was back, carrying a very familiar set of clothes.

"Yes?" Hermione asked cooly.

"Master says miss is to get dressed now and go down to dinner." Twinny bit her lip.

To go or not to go? 

_First rule of hostage situations – do as you're told until you know the lay of the land._

_Okay. Going then. Good thing too, I'm hungry._

"Thank you." Hermione answered. "Is there a towel?" Twinny started hurriedly handing Hermione a fluffy white towel, but Hermione shook her head. "Leave it on the side. Thanks." Twinny hesitated and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Would miss like anything else?"

"Privacy would be nice." Hermione commented, and Twinny immediately disappeared with the signatory pop. "Ruddy hell."

Hermione dragged herself from the bathtub, dragging the towel off the counter and wrapping it around herself, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She looked awful. Huge bags under her eyes, blotchy skin. Her left shoulder was red and covered in tiny blisters which made her wince as she touched them gently. She dabbed them dry as carefully as she could before briskly rubbing the rest of her dry and turning to the pile of clothes sitting on the closed lid of the toilet.

They were her clothes, that much was certain. Her underwear – the pale blue lace edged with lime green was unmistakable. That was her layered multi-fabric black skirt, along with the dark green turtleneck.

Someone had been going through her stuff. Probably the same someone who had dropped her pink thong in the middle of her floor.

_Just get dressed._ She told herself sharply, pulling the panties over her legs and clipping the bra behind her back before pulling on the skirt and turtleneck. She found a brush on the counter and ran it through her hair before shrugging and leaving the bathroom, meeting Twinny outside.

"Miss is ready?" She asked, looking over Hermione before handing her a pair of ballet flats.

"Sure, why not?" Hermione asked, standing on one foot and then the other as she pulled the shoes on. "Let's go."

Twinny turned to the bathroom door and opened it, revealing a hallway.

Magic doorway. Cool 

_Oh, grow up. It's not like you've never seen one before._

_I said it was cool not original._

_Children._

Hermione immediately felt vaguely ridiculous for talking to herself, and followed Twinny into the hall and then down the corridor. Whoever owned this house was filthy rich – the walls were panelled in some sort of polished wood, the carpet was thick and deep, and when they came to the top of the staircase, Hermione stopped and gaped.

The hall ended at the top of a staircase in a great circular entrance hall. The staircase curved along the wall, ending at a black and white marble floor. Above her the ceiling arched and was domed in transparent glass that gave a good view of the clear sky and sparkling stars. All around the curved walls on the second level were sparkling windows, though downstairs the walls were bare apart from a few portraits of landscapes at different times of the year.

"Downstairs, miss." Twinny said as she started down the steps, nearly having to jump down each step which was nearly higher than the length of her short legs. Hermione followed, her hand on the polished wooden railing, making a concentrated effort to keep her mouth closed.

It was hard work.

Twinny led her through the circular hall, Hermione's reflection visible, if distorted, in the marble beneath her as they passed over it.

_Note to self: don't wear skirts over this floor. Not short ones, anyway._

Twinny led her into the dining room, where two people sat at the long polished table, blonde heads bent over several pieces of paper. When Hermione walked in, they stood up, and the darker of the blondes gathered the papers and left without saying a word. The other blonde looked in her direction and she stopped dead.

"Malfoy!"

"Hermione." Malfoy smiled charmingly. "Sit down." He gestured at the chair to his right.

"What the fuck is going on?" She demanded, her hands on her hips. His smile faded.

"Sit down." He repeated.

"No. I want to know what's going on!" She demanded.

"Hermione, I am trying to be civil. At least return the favour." He said cooly.

"Look, Malfoy. I don't know whatever deatheater scheme you're involved in, but I'm not interested. You obviously knew I wouldn't be interested, or you wouldn't have kidnapped me. But now you know for sure, so I'm leaving."

"No, you're not." He said flatly, sitting down. "You'll stay right here until I decide you can leave."

"Oh, you're going to make me?" Hermione asked haughtily, crossing her arms. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Hermione, you were the brightest witch in the entire school. You passed the auror tests with the highest mark in centuries. Use your brain."

Food appeared in front of Malfoy and he began eating. The scents made Hermione's mouth water, but she refused to back down. At her continued silence, Malfoy looked up and sighed.

"You are at Malfoy Manor. This house and everything on the very extensive grounds is directly under my control. You wouldn't get ten feet out the door, provided you got out the door, before you ended up back in the house again. And I imagine a lot of the…inhabitants of the Manor and it's grounds wouldn't be particularly gentle. They have orders not to kill you, but besides that, if you provoke them they can and will retaliate." Hermione kept silent, diligently storing up this information for her escape. "Now, are you going to eat or stand there and drool on the carpet?" Hermione glared but sat down, watching at the food appeared in front of her. She didn't start eating. "What?" He asked. "Not your thing? Suddenly turned veggie?"

"I want out." Hermione said flatly. "Whatever mad scheme you thought to get me involved in, forget it. It isnt going to happen."

"It's already happened." Malfoy said with a shrug. "Hell, it happened before I brought you here. Now eat. I know you're hungry and it's going cold and it tastes awful cold."

"What if I don't want to eat?" Hermione tested.

"Then don't. But this is it until breakfast." Malfoy continued eating, and Hermione, after deciding that it really wasn't worth the hunger, dug in. The food was excellent; she'd give him that much.

&

Tell me what you think...I finally got around to finishing this, so I'd really like to have your opinions on the story.


	2. Chapter 2

_&_

_and if it isnt…you know that my house is safe for you. I've taught you what I can to keep you from being found if the need arises, in the hope that one of us at least will live to the end of our lives without being hunted._

She could see the line, in his thin spiky handwriting, glaring up at her from the floor. Perhaps the danger was past…maybe. But then, they werent dead yet…the ones who wanted her dead. The traitors.

_I know you didn't come here willingly, and perhaps you'll never understand or accept what I did. But I did the only thing I could think of when I knew you were in danger_.

When he knew. Hermione hung her head, her brown hair falling down to form a curtain around her head, shielding her from the outside. It was true, she hadnt come willingly. Had sulked for days after that first dinner, refusing to come out and talk to him, or eat with him or anything. She'd screamed and thrown things and tried to run away regularly.

It was a regular beauty and the beast scenario, except he was never very beastly.

He was polite, always polite. In the end it drove her next to insane with his constant formality. Whatever she wanted, once she started being civil, she got.

_I never wanted to hurt you._

Hermione stood just inside the french doors, listening carefully. It was around two in the morning, two weeks after she'd arrived, and she was going to try another route out of the house, the others just leading back to her bedroom or to the foyer, and just when she'd thought she'd found a way out! It seemed the house was out to frustrate her, by getting her hopes up and then dashing them on the hard marble floor of the entrance hall.

Stupid entrance hall.

The moon was half-gone and was covered every so often with clouds, though the light was still sufficient to light up a trail across the gardens and into her room. She stepped onto the balcony and climbed over the wrought iron railing, then climbed down the rose trellis that climbed the entire house. She jumped the last two feet and took off in a easy jog, running as quietly as she could along the garden paths, wincing at the noise the gravel made under her feet as she moved quickly over it. Then she was at the wall, covered again by the climbing roses.

Apparently Narcissa like roses.

Either way, the roses really didn't like Hermione, tearing at her hands and barbing any bit of skin they could get hold of. By the time Hermione had fought her way to the wall and then climbed it, which wasn't easy either, she was scratched, exhausted and more than ready to give it up.

Especially when she saw the forest on the other side of the wall.

How the hell had she not seen it from her window? Hermione frowned as she regarded the dark quiet trees, before shrugging and jumping off the wall, landing and tucking herself into a roll so she didn't injure herself. She stood and looked into the trees again, and shrugged.

Okay, I don't have my wand. But I can run.

_Humans are hardly the fastest runners in the wood._

_I can climb, too. _Hermione defended.

_So can all manner of lovely Hermione-eating monsters._

_Shut up. You're not helping._

_Go home. You know the dangers. You know the types of beasties that lurk in the woods. You fight them daily._

_I'm trying to go home. And anyway, Malfoy said they wouldn't hurt me._

_I meant the manor. And no he didn't. He said they wouldn't kill you. Not the same thing._

_Now I know you're crazy. The manor is not home. Nor will it ever be._

_You're the one talking to yourself._

_Shut up._

Hermione jogged into the woods, taking the path of least resistance and trying to keep going as close to straight ahead as she could manage. There was no sound but the soft rustling of the trees and the sound of her breathing as the air seemed to get thicker and made it harder to breathe.

Hermione slowed to a walk, taking deep breaths to slow her heart rate, but finally had to pause and lean against a tree. She sneezed.

And again.

And again.

"What the hell is going on?" She muttered, sneezing again.

"You've been breathing in nightflower spores and now your lungs are full." Her head snapped up and saw saw Malfoy approaching her, his face expressionless.

"Well, you're breathing them too."

"Deflection spell." Malfoy said simply. "Are you ready to come back now? Or are you going to let yourself get to death's door so you collapse and I have to carry you back?"

"But…" Hermione coughed wetly. "I got over the wall."

"The garden wall, Hermione. The grounds extend another two miles in front of us. Like I said, you'd never get off the grounds."

"Stop calling me that." Hermione demanded. Her tongue felt thick and furry in her mouth.

"It's your name."

"Since when have you used my name?" Hermione swallowed, trying to get some of the crap out of her mouth.

"Come back, Hermione." Malfoy said, stepping forward. "All you're doing here is letting yourself in for bronchitis from hell."

"Malfoy. I want to go home." Hermione complained, wavering slightly as she got dizzy. She tightened her grip on the tree, her nails digging into the bark.

"You cant." Malfoy said.

"Why not?"

"It's not safe."

"So you're keeping me here," Hermione coughed, phlegm rising in the back of her throat, sticky and almost sweet. "To keep me safe?"

"Yes." Malfoy answered simply. He met her eyes, and she saw nothing but guarded caution there. "But letting you die of spore-poisoning hardly counts for keeping you safe, so will you come back already?"

"Fine." Hermione coughed again, her chest muscles spasming.

"Finally." Malfoy grabbed her hand and apparated, dragging her with him.

They appeared in the main hall of the manor, which was lit by glowing spheres of ivory light hovering all around the second floor. When Malfoy looked down at his hand, now streaked with blood, her grabbed her wrists and turned her hands palm-up, ignoring her incessant coughing.

"You're a mess."

"Your rose bushes are evil." She coughed. "Can you fix this?"

"Can you say please?"

"You said if I die it'll defy the whole point in me being here, so stop me dying."

"You're not going to die." Malfoy muttered something and gestured with his wand and her shredded hands healed. She coughed wetly, and when she moved her hand from her mouth it was splattered with a sticky lilac substance.

"That's disgusting." She said. Malfoy rolled his eyes and gestured with his wand again, and the substance disappeared from her hand, and her lungs suddenly felt empty, and she drew in a convulsive breath to fill their complete capacity. "Thanks."

"It's okay." Malfoy shrugged, walking off.

His exit left the entrance hall silent, the glowing spheres not making a sound as they bobbed gently up and down, making the shadows bounce.

_and I'm sorry if I did. I only wanted to keep you safe_.

All he had ever wanted to do was keep her safe. It had taken her six months to work that out. Six months, four escape attempts, and two balls. Hermione rose and stepped over the letter, but only got to the centre of the bedroom before she stopped. Any purpose she might have had in moving had left her.

She sank to her knees in the middle of the room and wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

God, she missed him.

&

Hermione opened the trap door in the middle of her floor and kicked the rolled-up carpet further away as she peered into the hole.

"What I'd give for a wand." She muttered before lowering herself into the hole. Her feet didn't touch the bottom but then hidden rooms were often big enough to stand in, weren't they? "Cant be any worse than trolls, dragons or poisonous flower-spores." She reasoned, before letting go and allowing herself to drop into the hole.

And drop.

Hermione bit back a scream at her continued descent, settling instead to curse Malfoy Manor and Malfoy himself, the stupid bastard who still wouldn't tell her why he'd kidnapped her, despite the fact she'd been at the Manor nearly a month now.

Finally Hermione landed with a resounding 'oof', thanking her lucky stars she hadn't landed funny and broken anything. Fortunately all she had done was achieve a large amount of bruises which would probably be quite a sight come tomorrow morning.

Aware that it would only be a matter of time before Malfoy came looking for her, Hermione scrambled to her feet and looked up. The trapdoor above her was a tiny square of light in the darkness and she sighed.

"Stupid big house." She muttered darkly, starting to walk cautiously forward. Hands in front of her blindly and one foot tentatively put down after another, Hermione's eyes soon adjusted and she could make out pale weird shapes before noticing a brightening glow at the end of the corridor.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is often an oncoming train." Hermione reminded herself, smiling a little as the pessimism of aurors, who preferred to think the worst instead of being surprised.

Hermione stepped into the room, looking around cautiously. The stone room was lit by torches and hundreds of flickering shapes moved quickly in the dim light.

"What have we got here?" a high pitched voice squeaked, and something brushed against Hermione's leg. "Intruder!"

"My name is Hermione Granger." Hermione said. "Do you know a way out?" Something brushed against her breast. "Hey!"

"She wants out!" suddenly she felt covered, little hands touching her chest, her legs, her stomach, her arms, pulling at her clothes and hair and spinning her around.

"Stop it!" Hermione clawed at her invisible attackers, flinging them as far away from her as possible. "Leave me alone!"

"She wants alone, she does!" the mocking voice cried. Then all action stopped and Hermione froze, feeling soft coldness against her thigh.

"Stop it." She said as flatly as she could manage despite the panic rising in her. She felt fingers against the soft skin at the top of her inside thigh. "If you don't stop it," she tried again, "I'll tell Malfoy what you're doing."

"Master Malfoy's far away." The voice sing-songed, a finger entered her and Hermione jumped back, putting a hand down her jeans to try and pull out the tiny creature. There was a high pitched giggle and Hermione shrieked as more fingers entered her, twisting in her channel.

"Stop it!" she shrieked. She was again covered in tiny hands, pulling at her clothes, twisting her nipples cruelly. "Stop it!" There was only more laughter.

"Malfoy!" she screamed. "Damn you Malfoy, you've followed me every other time, where are you now?" Hermione clawed at the tiny bodies, doing her best to ignore the fact she could feel herself getting wet. "Malfoy, please!"

There was nothing apart from the giggles of the creatures and the sound of Hermione's gasping sobs. The tiny creatures spun her around and around, pinching and poking and pulling her hair and clothes as Hermione shrieked and cried.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Hermione spun to see Malfoy standing in the doorway, dressed in his customary black. She had never been so glad to see him in her entire life. All the creatures left her, though she could feel the creature wriggling in her jeans. She clawed at the fastening.

"Get it out!" she sobbed, dragging the tiny invisible monster from her pants and flinging it as hard as she could against the wall.

"Hermione, come here." Malfoy said flatly. For once Hermione did as she was told immediately, stumbling to his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her against his side, wrapping his cloak round her as she trembled and sobbed into his shoulder. "As for you," he turned to the tiny creatures. "Revello."

The creatures appeared and Hermione gasped. They were about knee high, with brown skin and very thin limbs and very long fingers. One of them leered at her and she saw with disgust the white substance on his hand.

"What are they?" she asked, her voice catching in her throat.

"They're hybrids." Malfoy said shortly. "Goblin-pixie crosses."

"How…I don't want to know." Hermione shook her head, scrubbing at her eyes with one hand, wiping away the tears.

"No, you don't." Malfoy said. "Come on." He guided Hermione towards a corridor leading from the room, not, she noticed, the one she had entered by. "And I'll deal with the rest of you later."

There was several shrieks and the sounds of fighting and things being knocked over, but Malfoy ignored it, hurriedly guiding Hermione up the twisting stairs before them and through the doors which led to damp, cold dungeons.

Again, Malfoy paid them no mind, just pulled Hermione through them, then up the stairs and out into a corridor Hermione recognised as by the kitchens. Finally, he paused.

"Are you okay?"

"What the hell do you mean, am I okay? No, I am not okay!"

"I meant are you hurt." Malfoy said calmly.

"Mentally scarred, I'm sure." Hermione snapped. She hiccoughed, and took several deep breaths, trying to calm down.

"Come on." Malfoy took her hand and led her into the kitchens and sat her down. She looked up at him, confused.

He ignored her confused look and started, to Hermione's shock, to _cook_. He put a mug of tea in front of her, coupled with a couple of slices of buttered toast.

"Eat that." He said, sitting at the wooden table across from her. "Trust me." Hermione swallowed convulsively and pushed it away.

"I don't think I can." She said with a grimace. He pushed the plate back under her nose.

"Trust me, it makes it better. Even if it does make you feel ready to puke." Hermione opted instead for the tea, wrapping her hands around the scalding mug and lifting it to her lips, ignoring the burning pain the liquid induced in her mouth. It was a real pain. One she could control.

That made it good.

"What were you planning on doing?" Malfoy asked softly. She looked up at him. "How did you get down there?"

"Trap door in my floor. Under the carpet." Hermione answered. Malfoy held her gaze for a moment until she looked away. He swore under his breath. "What?" she demanded huffily. "I didn't know it would go down there!"

"Not you Flicka." He said quickly. "Though if you would stop trying to run away you'd stop getting in life-threatening situations."

"Well, maybe if you'd tell me why I was here I wouldn't get beaten up by your damn trolls, burned by the bloody dragons, suffocated by plant spores and mauled by pixie-goblin hybrids! So tell me Malfoy_why am I here_?" There was silence in the room, and Hermione slurped her tea.

"Because your name came up on an assassin's list." Malfoy said finally. Hermione dropped her tea and it crashed onto the table, spilling scalding tea everywhere. Hermione leapt up and away from the burning liquid, then stared as it disappeared, leaving only a faint mark behind it on the wooden table.

"What?" She demanded.

"Your name came up on an assassin's list, and for some reason, though it currently escapes me, I wanted you to be out of his way."

Hermione sat back down, staring hard at Malfoy.

"You're saying that I've got an assassin after me so you brought me here so I'd be safe?"

"Two assassins. They know you're one of the best aurors churned out of that program." Malfoy corrected.

"Oh, so now I feel special." Hermione spat. "Why the hell do you care so much about my wellbeing?" She insisted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms defiantly over her chest.

"See, that's what's escaping me right now." Malfoy shot back. He sighed. "Look, tomorrow, I have to go into the Ministry. You can come with me and see for yourself."

"And yet you want to keep me safe? What is going on with you, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, standing up. He rose as well.

"I want to keep you safe. You would have never come here willingly, and short of someone trying to kill you and failing, you'd never know you were in danger. So I had to kidnap you, to bring you here. I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

"Well, now I know about the danger, I can keep an eye out for it. So now I can go home, and I promise I wont talk to strangers." Hermione smirked and headed for the door.

"It wont be that easy." Malfoy called after her.

&


	3. Chapter 3

&

"You ready?" Malfoy asked when she opened her bedroom door the following morning.

"For what?" Hermione asked as she dragged her back into a ponytail.

"Are you coming to the Ministry with me or not?" Malfoy asked.

"I imagine that if I just walk in there with you, I'm not exactly going to be safe." Hermione snapped.

"I wouldn't worry about that. So are you coming?"

"Sure, why not?" Hermione shrugged and grabbed her jacket.

"You wont need that." Malfoy commented, taking out his wand.

"Why?" Hermione asked, pausing. Malfoy muttered something under his breath and the jacket fell to the floor as Hermione's fingers ceased to be able to hold anything and she shrank into the form of a tiny owl.

"Because you're going to be in my pocket." Malfoy answered.

_Malfoy! What the hell have you done? _Hermione demanded, her voice echoing in his head.

"Shrunk you into a form that can hear what's going on, can be carried in my pocket, and wont raise anyone's suspicions. It's perfectly sensible. Now be quiet, I have to concentrate." Malfoy answered, scooping up owl-Hermione and slipping her into the inside pocket of his cloak. Then with a small pop, they were gone.

They appeared in the main hall of the Ministry building, and Malfoy went through all the necessary security checks before striding past the guard and heading upstairs.

"Malfoy!" He turned and saw Harry coming his way. "A word?"

"Sure."

_Since when has Harry wanted to talk to you?_ Hermione asked, confused. Malfoy didn't answer.

"In my office." Malfoy followed Harry into the tiny room and Harry shut the door with a wave from his wand. "Sit down." Malfoy sat and Harry sat on the other side of the desk. "I have a problem."

"Do I look like your agony aunt?" Malfoy asked snidely.

"I had a file land on my desk three and a half weeks ago." Harry began. "Now, normally I have my files closed after a week, but the subject of this file disappeared, shortly after the file appeared." Malfoy raised a cynical eyebrow.

"So what do you want from me?" He asked.

"I want you to find her, Malfoy."

"I'm going to need more than her gender if I'm going to find anyone, Potter." Harry pulled a file out of a drawer and dropped it on the desk in front of Malfoy. Then he looked up.

"What's in your pocket, Malfoy?" Harry asked, drawing his wand. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Baby owl. I'm training her." He pulled Hermione out of his pocket and set her on the desk where she could see the file clearly and her name printed across the front. "That's low, Potter, killing your own best friend. Who's it going to be next? Weasley?"

"Hardly. Harry, the minister wants to know how your files are coming along." Malfoy twisted in his chair to see Ron standing in the doorway. "Malfoy." Ron nodded at him.

"Weasley. You're helping with this too, then? So what's little Miss Granger done to deserve being murdered by her two best friends?"

_Hear hear!_ Hermione added.

"That, Malfoy, is absolutely none of your business." Harry said coldly. "Can you find her or not?"

"I can look for her. Whether I find her or not is a completely different story." Malfoy shrugged. He picked up Hermione, tucking her back into his pocket.

"Find her. Or you might find yourself serving in Azkaban." Ron added.

"That a threat Weasley? How's the family coming on? I hear your son just turned two." Malfoy smirked, then ducked Ron's punch before apparating straight out of Harry's office, reappearing once in the entrance hall of the Ministry, before apparating again, straight to his own entrance hall.

He pulled her out of his pocket and changed her back to her normal form, and watched as she took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm…I'm going to my room." Hermione smiled weakly before turning for the stairs.

"Hey Flicka." Hermione turned. "Are you going to be okay?" She shrugged.

"I don't know, Malfoy." Then she headed upstairs.

&

_I wanted you to know that not everyone would betray you_.

That had been the beginning – the trip into the Ministry so she could see the truth. It had, to be honest, broken whatever fighting spirit she had had left. It had left her world so backwards – with Malfoy the hero and Harry and Ron the evil villains. All her plans for escape had been so she could get back to her friends who she was sure were looking for her, so she could point the accusing finger at Malfoy.

_Wanted to prove that at least one person would always be there for you. No matter what._

It was hardly any wonder she had been so hostile, so confused, those first three weeks. After that…after that she had been polite, doing (usually) what she was told, going to dinner, talking to him in the library, going for walks in the gardens and in the grounds, this time without thought of escape.

She had thought, for many weeks after making that discovery, that the knowledge had killed her inside. She couldn't bring herself to care about anything. She knew Malfoy worried about her, had seen it in the sideways glances in her directions, the way he looked hastily in some other direction when she looked over.

He had, by showing her Harry's betrayal, ended her life. But he also gave her a new one. A beautiful sparkling diamond, opal and platinum one in a silvery-grey velvet box.

&

"Happy Birthday Flicka." Malfoy turned from where he was looking for a book in the library to Hermione, who had just walked in the door.

"Thanks." Hermione smiled. There was a pause. "Why do you call me that?"

"What, Flicka?" Malfoy asked. At her nod, he shrugged. "Because I want to." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. How do you know my birthday anyway?" She dropped into one of the armchairs, one hand absent-mindedly pulling a book on the sidetable over to her as she watched Malfoy look for his book.

"Sixth sense. I can tell when you're getting old." He grinned. "Gotcha, you little bastard." Malfoy muttered.

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile. "You shouldn't be so rude to your books!" She watched as the ladder flew to Malfoy's side at a flick of his wand, and he climbed up, going to the top shelf, some fifteen shelves up. "And on my behalf, hey!" He chuckled.

"Flicka, you've been here seven and a half weeks. Surely you can call me Draco now." He twisted on the ladder, looking down at her with an engaging grin. Hermione was more concerned with the way the ladder wobbled.

"Be careful!" She exclaimed, jumping from her chair and hurrying to the side of the ladder and holding it steady.

"Concerned for my welfare, Flicka?" He asked teasingly, pulling a very thick, very short book off the shelf and tucking it under his chin before descending the ladder. "Come have a look at this." He took her hand and pulled her over to the big polished table in the middle of the library and put the book down on it, before pressing her hand down onto the cover, his fingers touching the cover between hers.

"What am I looking at?" Hermione asked.

"Hold on a sec." Malfoy muttered. The cover of the book starting to glow faintly and Hermione tried to pull her hand away but Malfoy held her hand down. "Just wait."

"What am I waiting for?" Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder at him with a grin. The look in his eyes made her stomach clench suddenly, and the smile faded from her face. "Draco…" the name was torn from her lips.

"Hermione-" A sharp click interrupted him, and Hermione turned back to the book, the clasp of which hung open. Malfoy moved his hand and she let hers fall away from the book, and she watched as Malfoy opened the book and revealed the compartment inside.

It was rectangular and deep, and inside was a silver-grey velvet jewelery box and a deep-blue velvet bag. Malfoy pulled the two containers out of the book and held them out to her. "Happy Birthday."

"Presents as well?" Hermione asked brightly, trying to force her stomach to relax.

"It might come in useful." Malfoy said simply. "So? Are you going to open it?"

"Impatient." Hermione chided. She opened the drawstring velvet bag and tipped the contents into her hand. It was a small golden ball. She looked from it to Malfoy. "What is it?"

"Open the other first and then I'll explain. They go together." She nodded and dropped the golden ball back into the back and laid it on the table before turning her attention to the small silver-grey velvet box. She opened it, and stared openmouthed at the contents.

Inside was a beautiful ring. It had a platinum band and three large sharply pointed narrow oval stones set crossways in it, an opal flanked by glittering diamonds.

"Malfoy, this is-"

"An engagement ring, I know. But that's not why I gave it to you." Hermione looked up, and saw him watching her seriously. "It was given to my grandmother by my grandfather when they got engaged, which is why its an engagement ring. But it also serves to change the appearance of the wearer."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, taking the ring from the box and letting it lie in her palm, watching how the light caught the stones and made them sparkle.

"Here." Malfoy took the ring from her and slipped it onto her right ring finger. He took the velvet bag and tipped the golden ball into her hand before closing her hand over it. "Now, visualise yourself looking however you want." Hermione frowned, then smirked as an image of Ginny popped into her head.

"Ginny wasn't quite what I had in mind." Malfoy commented with a smirk. Hermione looked down and saw her hair was the vibrant ginger that all the Weasley's possessed. "To stop either visualise yourself looking however you normally look, or take the ring off. The illusion only works while the ring is in contact with your skin. The moment you take it off the illusion will end." Hermione saw herself in her mind's eye and watched as the ginger hair darkened to brown. She put the golden ball into the bag on the table.

"This is…amazing." Hermione said, looking down at the ring on her finger, then looking at Malfoy. He smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I thought it could be useful for you. Change what you look like at will. Might keep Potter and Weasley off your tail."

"Does that mean I can go?" Hermione asked. Malfoy's eyes hardened and he spun on his heel and left the library. Hermione ran after him. "Malfoy?"

"No." He said shortly. "It doesn't." Hermione stopped and watched him walk away from her.

"Bastard." She hissed, yanking the ring off her finger and jamming it into the jewelery box before turning and running out of the library and up the stairs to her bedroom.

&

_I know I took you against your will but I never would have been able to convince you to come with me otherwise._

He had always watched out for her. If she thought carefully enough, and didn't bother too much with the likelihood of it, she could almost believe he had looked out for her at school, too. But that seemed a lifetime ago, when they were young and carefree and Dumbledore watched over them all like a hawk watching it's young.

But now…Hermione picked up the tear-stained and creased letter from the floor and let her eyes skim the words again, taking in the sharp penmanship lovingly. He had taken her in, cared for her, protected her. Even when she had shouted and raged and fought him, he had been patient and steadfast. He hadnt ever given up on her, not once. And so Hermione had promised herself that as long as he could give her patient and second chances until they came out of her ears, she could do the same for him.

_There is too much behind us for that to have ever been possible._

She had never thought she would be too late to apologise, too late to tell him the truth.

She had never thought about time at all.

She could have been forever at the Manor.

&

"It's only an apology." Hermione muttered to herself, twisting the hem of her white gypsy skirt around her finger. It was a childhood habit, and of all the habits she could have retained, she figured skirt-twisting wasn't too bad. She could have retained nose-picking, and she had only realised how unattractive that was when she saw a five year old on a bus do it when she was twelve.

She hadnt done it since.

"Apology. Apology…I can do that." Hermione repeated to herself. She felt bad for being a bit of a bitch to Malfoy – since she now knew, had proof no less, of her danger and the way he was trying to keep her safe, she should be grateful, not an utter cow. After all, he was being civil to her.

She hated it when people managed to out-manner her. It left her feeling humiliated and ashamed.

She knocked quietly on the door and slipped inside without waiting for an answer. Malfoy and the blonde man were at the table, looking at pieces of parchment together the way they had been when Hermione had arrived the first time for dinner. The blonde man looked up and made as if to leave, but Malfoy halted him with a hand, looking up at Hermione.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked, biting the proverbial bullet. Malfoy raised one blonde eyebrow.

"What about?" he asked. Hermione's gaze flicked to the blonde then back to Malfoy.

"I wanted to apologise about earlier." She said quietly. Malfoy's other eyebrow joined it's raised counterpart.

"Really?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on coming in here and joking about it." Hermione snapped. Malfoy grinned.

"Apology accepted." He said drily. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So kind."

"Too kind, really. Considering what I'm doing for you and your general attitude. But all that aside – Hermione, this is Amadeo Malfoy, my cousin."

"Pleased to meet you." She said politely. Malfoy smirked but she ignored him. Amadeo looked her over.

"So this is her?" he asked archly. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"This is Hermione, yes. And she _is_ in the room." Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. Malfoy defending her to another Malfoy. It was a nice change from them all ganging up on her.

"She's pretty, for a mudblood." Amadeo commented.

"You're rude, for a pureblood." Hermione shot back, folding her arms. She could see Malfoy biting back a smile in her peripheral vision, but again she ignored him, focusing instead on the staring competition she and Amadeo had engaged in. But in the end the burning pain in her eyes made her blink and Amadeo smirked haughtily.

"Everything will be ready in time cousin." Amadeo said to Draco. "Have a little faith." He gathered up the papers and gave a short nod to Hermione. "Mudblood."

"Ciao." Hermione wiggled her fingers at him and he sneered before striding from the room. Draco looked up at her from the leather armchair and gestured to the chair across from him that Amadeo had just vacated.

"Sit. So what do you think of my cousin?"

"He's a pureblood twat. Reminds me of you at Hogwarts." Draco laughed, and Hermione smiled despite herself. "What will be ready in time? And when's the time?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" Draco asked good-naturedly.

"About as often as you do." She returned. She tucked her feet under her and spread her skirt over her knees, leaning back into the armchair and playing with a loose thread in her skirt. "So?"

"At Halloween, in a week in a half, Malfoy Manor traditionally holds a huge Ball for the Ministry and any personal friends." Draco explained. "Amadeo is in charge of getting it all together, and I have to host it."

"That's a bit unfair, isnt it? You reap the benefits of his work?" Draco shrugged.

"He detests parties with a vengeance, and his idea of social grace is getting all the mudbloods out of the eyesight of purebloods – he wouldn't fit in with a post-Voldemort Ministry of Magic. And I'm sure he hates Potter more than I do – he certainly hates the Weasleys more. So he plans the party, which he seems to enjoy, and I host it. It works out all right." Hermione nodded and they sat in silence for a moment. "Hermione…if you want, you can come to the ball with me." Hermione looked up at saw Draco studiously avoiding her gaze and she grinned.

"Sure, I'd love to."

"You don't have to if you don't want – the upstairs will be closed off anyway so you could stay in your room if you'd like, I don't mind if you want to stay away from the party, I'd understand I-"

"Draco, I said I'd love to." She interrupted him and he stared at her.

"Really?"

"Careful, Draco, or it'll look like you really care if I go or not." She teased. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, of course I'm not much bothered, you understand. But I need a date and you already live here so it would be convenient for both of us."

"Quite." Hermione answered with a poorly-concealed smile. "And noise from parties always seems less when you're attending them."

"Quite." Draco and Hermione stared at each other for a moment, before their grins spread across their faces, and they laughed.

When they could finally breathe again, a thought occurred to Hermione.

"What am I going to wear to the ball?" she asked.

"I'll get you something this week." Draco said. "It's still not safe for you to leave."

"But I have the ring-"

"Which isnt foolproof, Hermione." He interrupted harshly. "I didn't bring you here so you could go shopping and get yourself murdered."

"So why did you bring me here then?" Hermione demanded.

"Not for that." He snarled. Hermione took a deep beath

"I'm sorry. I came here to apologise. And I did…and I'd rather we didn't argue." Draco nodded.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Flicka. That's why I keep you here." Hermione nodded.

"I know that…it's just hard – I'm not used to being confined to the house all the time. I miss going out."

"Let me show you something." Draco rose and offered her his hand. She took it and let him pull her out of her seat before leading her out of the room and down the hallway to his study.

She stood unsurely inside the doorway, watching him pull a piece of parchment out of a drawer. He looked up and smiled at her uncertainty.

"Come on in. This is why I don't want you to leave the Manor. I can't keep you safe if you arent with me." Hermione took the parchment from him and unfolded it.

_Malfoy._

_Have you found her yet? The department has stepped up the search, they want her gone by the end of the week and I want this case closed so I can stop working late every night. Get a move on, I'll expect to hear from you soon. Oh, and both myself and Ron will be attending the ball next weekend._

_Potter._

"So he can stop working late every night?" Hermione demanded, tossing the parchment back on the desk. "He can work until fucking 6am for all I care!"

"This is why I need you to stay here." Draco said, taking her shoulders. "They've stepped up the search, I hear there's already three auror teams on it, looking for you. I can't risk them finding you, no matter how well the ring works. I need you here, do you understand?" Hermione looked up into his solemn face and nodded.

"I understand."

"Good." Draco smiled and squeezed her shoulders before releasing her.

"So they're coming to the Ball then?"

"It was an open invitation to the Ministry, Flicka." Draco shrugged and put the letter back into the drawer. "Anyone who works there can come. Some of them have more sense than others."

"Are they the ones not coming?" Hermione asked impishly.

"Very funny." He replied. "But for the most part, they are. People who don't particularly like myself or my family don't tend to come, though nowadays they're getting fewer and fewer, much to Amadeo's dislike."

"Aw, poor Amadeo." Hermione stuck out her bottom lip in mock sympathy. "However shall he cope?"

"By being nasty to you, so be careful. He won't hurt you, but he's harsh." Hermione nodded.

"Okay, thanks." There was silence again.

"Do you have any idea of what you're planning on looking like for the ball?" Draco asked into the silence. "I need to know so I can shop accordingly."

"I never visualised you doing womens shopping." Hermione jibed.

"Bite me. Unless you want to wear jeans to a black tie formal." He threatened. Hermione shook her head.

"Nah, that's fine." She assured him. He rolled his eyes. "Just buy something suitable and I'll change accordingly." He nodded.

"Master? Dinner's ready." He nodded at the house-elf and offered his arm to Hermione.

"Shall we?" She nodded with a smile.

&


	4. Chapter 4

_&_

_It's come to the point now where I can no longer keep you with me, for both our sakes and safeties, they search for you still, by letting the Muggle authorities look for you._

Hermione was staring out of the window again, the room dark around her. The letter lay abandoned and ignored in the middle of her floor. So the Ministry was still looking for her, even after a year, spent with and without him. She knew her parents would never give up searching for her, and that the Ministry would watch them. She'd never be able to go back to them.

Draco had become the only family she had, having lost both her friends and parents to the Ministry. And now he was gone too. Though he'd left for her safety. She didn't understand how he could sacrifice so much. Had it been her, she doubted she could have left him. Had it been her, she would have taken him and hidden somewhere, regardless of the consequences. Would have never let him go.

That was probably why it was him protecting her, and not the other way around.

Hermione pressed her forehead and nose to the cold window, her breath fogging it so she could barely see the wall covered with rose briars that had so savaged her hands so long ago.

It felt like forever.

_And I…they suspect that not everything I do is for their benefit, and I fear they suspect me of safeguarding you._

Hermione woke the Thursday before the ball and rolled over sleepily. On her bedside table was a small note, and she grabbed at it and on the third try managed to grasp it and pull it over to her. She opened it and smiled slightly. A rose petal fell out, and she brushed it gently aside before turning to the note itself.

_Flicka _

_I've gone to get you your dress, and some other things for the ball. I wont be back until dinner time, but Amadeo will be around if you need anything. As always, be careful._

_Draco_

"I'm in your sodding house, Draco." Hermione muttered, closing her eyes and rolling over onto her back, the letter slipping from her fingers to the floor. "Where's the danger going to come from, huh?" She sighed and pushed herself out of her bed, going to the vanity where the ring box and velvet bag sat. She picked them up and took them back to the bed, snuggling under the still-warm covers. She got the ring out and moved it under the early morning sunlight, watching the precious stones glitter. She loved doing this…she did it almost every morning and in the afternoons when she was bored. Just holding it made her stomach clench, thinking that Draco had given it to her…which led to more stomach-clenching realisations…he actually cared, he kept her here to keep her safe. Hermione felt a silly grin stretch across her face and rolled her eyes at her own actions.

She was so pathetic at times.

She just hoped to god Draco didn't find out. That would be embarassing.

A crash from downstairs brought her upright, and Dimmy the House Elf appeared by her bed.

"Miss must change, use Master's ring!" She gasped hysterically. "The Ministry is here, with Miss' Murderers!"

Hermione surged from the bed, shoving the ring on her finger and grabbing the golden ball. She stared at herself in the mirror, her mind going blank. An image of Draco rose in her mind and she watched as she changed. She laughed – even her voice was the same, then hurriedly lengthened her hair to her waist and curled it, and shrunk herself so she was barely more than five foot four and very skinny, and gave herself a more female appearance. Dimmy fixed her nightdress, just as the door crashed open, and Ron and Harry burst into her room. Hermione gasped, stepping back and her hand finding one of the heavy-ish perfume bottles on the vanity table, hefting it in her hand.

"Who are you?" Ron demanded. Hermione stared at him dumbly. "What is your name?" he asked again.

"Evie." She whispered the first name that came to her head. "What are you doing in my room?" she demanded, her voice getting stronger.

"She's a Malfoy." Harry said with a sneer. "Well, Miss Malfoy, where is Hermione Granger?" Hermione frowned.

"Who? I don't know who you're talking about."

"She's an ex-auror, wanted for treason." Ron said coldly. "Since when has Malfoy had a sister."

"I'm a cousin." Hermione answered coolly, regaining her confidence. "And again, what are you doing in my room?"

"This is a raid, to search for Hermione Granger."

"I don't recognise the name…it doesn't really sound pureblood." Hermione said as snootily as she could.

"She's a mudblood." Ron said flatly. Hermione glared.

"Watch your language in front of me. I don't care who you are." She snapped. She grabbed her robe and pulled it on before sweeping past them. "I'm going to go find Amadeo, and when I do, he'll punish you for coming into my room, without knocking, no less! I thought manners were something they still taught at the home." Harry and Ron each caught one of her arms and hauled her back.

"Let go of me!" she yelled. "Amadeo?"

"Yes, cousin of mine? It seems you've gotten yourself in a bit of a scrape." Harry and Ron whirled to face Amadeo, who stood calmly alone in the hallway with a snake in one hand and his wand in the other. "You two really shouldn't be here without an invitation. Now let her go."

"I don't think so. Where's Hermione Granger?"

"You really think Draco would keep a mudblood around his dear little kid cousin?" Amadeo sneered. "She's not too fond of mudbloods yourself, are you, pet?"

"My name is Evangeline, Amadeo, and I'm not your pet. And watch your language!" Hermione said shortly, wriggling and trying to get free.

"Well, _Evangeline_, dear, why don't you come over to me and leave the nice aurors to rummage through your room like the impolite baseborns they are while we have tea, and then maybe they'll leave us alone." Amadeo extended the hand with the snake wrapped around it, and Hermione shrugged Ron off and reached for his hand. The snake slithered up her arm and coiled around her neck, watching Harry beadily until he let go of her and she hurried to Amadeo's side. Amadeo took the snake away from her and she turned to watch Harry and Ron.

Another Auror came up to them.

"No sign of her anywhere, sir." He reported. "It's a bust."

"You know, silly me. I didn't even think to look in my own house for a mudblood who couldn't actually get in anyway!" Hermione whirled and saw Draco striding towards them, his face pale and set in stone as he strode towards them. Hermione covered her mouth with her hands, showing the ring to him, but he ignored her.

"What are you doing in my house?" he sneered, standing on the other side of Hermione so she was flanked by the two real Malfoys.

"Going through dear cousin Evangeline's belongings, by the looks of things." Amadeo commented.

"Are you hurt?" Draco turned to Hermione, and she shook her head.

"Just startled." She said. "I was just getting up when they came in."

"Have you found her, then?" Draco asked mockingly. "Perhaps I missed her on my own property." He put an arm around Hermione's shoulders, and his clamped tight onto her shoulder. "I'm going to ask you once to leave, and then I'll expel you from my house. Off you go."

"You're hiding her, aren't you, Draco?" Harry hissed, walking right up to Draco and getting in his face. The two men were matched evenly same build, same height, towering over Hermione in her tiny disguise. "You know you can't hide her forever."

"Why would I hide your precious best friend? It's not my fault you're showing your incompetence, and maybe a tinsy bit of regret for killing the girl who saved your life more times than you've had birthdays?" Draco laughed. "Try thinking coldly without emotion and you might actually find the silly bint. In the meantime, get the fuck out of my house."

"Harry, come on." Ron said, glaring at Draco. "There's other times."

"Yeah. Other times." Harry and Ron pushed roughly past the 'three' Malfoys and went down the stairs, followed by Amadeo. Hermione leaned over the banister and watched them go. The door slammed, and she felt a hand on the small of her back. She jumped and whirled and found Draco standing right in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, his eyes still hard. She nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry about-" he put his fingers to her lips.

"It's not your fault, Flicka." He whispered. "I'm just glad you're safe." He pulled her into a hug and she relaxed against his chest, her tiny form completely enfolded by him. She could hear his quick heartbeat, and she pressed her ear against it, letting it fill her head. "You make a good Malfoy."

Hermione laughed and pulled back a little. "I put the ring on and couldn't think of anyone to be, you popped into my head so I just made a female version of you."

"I think I look very fetching as a girl." He said, stepping back and looking her up and down. "Though I'm very tiny."

"I just wanted to make my body shape different, to make sure they didn't recognise me." She smiled slightly. "I never thought they would come here."

"Neither did I. You were lucky you were ready in time."

"Dimmy came and warned me." Hermione said. She pulled the ring off her finger and giggled at the strange sensation of growing both up and out to her normal figure. "Do you actually have any female cousins?"

"Esmerelda, but she lives in Spain." Draco hugged her again. "God I'm glad you're okay." Hermione nodded.

"I'm fine, Draco, really I am." She pulled away. "Though I would prefer coffee before any drama in the morning."

"Hermione, its past noon."

"No it isnt!" Hermione denied, smiling at the stupidness of the whole conversation.

"Oh yes it is." Draco said, his mouth twitching as he tried not to reciprocate her stupid grin.

"You are a liar and a fiend, Draco Malfoy. I refuse to believe it is past noon." She folded her arms and pouted. Draco found himself forcibly restraining the urge to kiss that pout off her face and instead took on a mock-insulted expression.

"Why, how dare you? And in my own house!" he exclaimed. Hermione giggled.

"I live here too, you know. Or had that slipped your notice?" she raised on eyebrow and he raised one back.

"Funny that. I shall have to go tell Potter he was right, I had overlooked the witch on my premises. In fact, I shall have to tell him I have no idea who Evangeline Malfoy is! How embarrassing that shall be."

"That's what you get for forgetting the name of your only female cousin." Hermione tskd. Malfoy shook his head.

"I'm so ashamed of myself." He said mournfully, hanging his head.

"Aw, diddums." Hermione laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to go get dressed, I'll see you later." She slipped past him and down the corridor, aware of Malfoy's burning gaze on her back.

&

_I will not let you go,_

She felt him watching her all the more carefully after the raid. He was always checking on her to the point where she'd yell at him to get out of her room, because she wanted to go to bed. At which point he'd make a lewd comment and she'd throw a cushion at him. She got used to the crazy playful banter, to the flirting, to the little touches that reassured one that the other was there. She didn't even think of escape now.

_I will not risk you._

&


	5. Chapter 5

&

Hermione sat in front of the vanity on Saturday evening, looking at herself in the mirror. She already wore the beautiful grey silk dress Draco had bought her, and the engagement ring sat on the vanity before her, the golden sphere next to it. But she couldn't bring herself to put it on, to change her appearance. In less than an hour, she would have to appear at the party, the beautiful unknown date of Draco Malfoy. She'd have to interact with her would-be murderers. Mingle with deatheaters. Her stomach was filled with a ball of cold lead, and Hermione closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to ease her discomfort.

"Hermione?" She opened her eyes and saw Draco's reflection in the mirror approach her. "Are you alright?" She turned to face him, and he knelt in front of her so he was level with her. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do it, Draco." She whispered. "I'm scared."

"Hermione, you can." Draco stressed. He took her shoulders in his hands, and leaned forward so their foreheads met. "I know you can."

"If I'm caught…you'll be dead too."

"I don't care, Hermione." He said fervently. "Do you know why I'm doing this?"

"Because you want me to be safe." Hermione answered simply.

"Because all my life I never had any friends. I had people who did as I told them and reported back to my father on my actions. I was always burningly jealous of Potter and Weasley, Hermione." His hands slipped up to her neck, framing her face. "They had you and they had each other. And when your name came up on their list, I couldn't bear the idea of you being dead. Do you remember seventh year, when we were the Head Students?" Hermione laughed softly.

"We barely said two words the entire year." She remembered.

"Except to insult each other." Draco finished. "But you were always there for me, something I didn't realise until it was too late."

"I would have told you to fuck off, Draco." Hermione said with a small smile. "You exaggerate my saintliness."

"You wouldn't have, though. I saw you watching me, around Christmas, remember? I was really messed up then, I remember feeling you watching me. I knew you were there for me then, even if we didn't say anything. You were my greatest and only friend."

"You need higher standards." Hermione whispered, closing her eyes and resting her hands on his shoulders.

"You were there for me the same way you were for them, and I finally understood how it was for you three in your glorious little circle. So when, now, seven years later, I heard that Harry and Ron were going to kill you, I refused to let them. They might be able to kill the woman who saved their life every time they were in danger, but I wasn't going to let them kill the woman who was prepared to listen to me."

"Draco-" He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth, and she practically fell into his arms, her mouth opening beneath his tongue and her arms twining around his neck and shoulders.

"You are loved, and you are needed, Hermione." He whispered raggedly against her mouth before he kissed her again, one hand behind her neck and the other at her waist, holding her to him. "Don't leave me."

"I wont." She whispered back, pulling away slightly to catch her breath, her forehead still braced on his. She could hear the chime of the grandfather clock on the landing. "Draco, the party…people will be arriving soon."

"Damn the party." He hissed, leaning foreward to kiss her again, gently, this time. "I don't care."

"Amadeo will murder us if you miss the party." Hermione said, pulling herself out of his arms and rising to sit back on the vanity stool. She smoothed her dress, and looked back in the mirror. "The dress is beautiful." She commented as she slipped the engagement ring on her finger. She took the golden ball in her hand and concentrated, half aware of Draco behind her. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was staring into the green-blue eyes of a fair-skinned redhead with high cheekbones and a small mouth. She picked up the brush but Draco took it from her, brushing out the vibrantly coloured hair and piling it on top of her head, fixing it with silver and pearl pins.

"Your name?"

"Constantine DeVere. I'm a pureblood. My mother was from Ireland, my father from Scotland. I was widowed a year after I was married. That's what you get from marrying an auror."

"And now you're engaged again." Draco said nodding at the ring on her narrow white finger. She looked up at him, her hands falling into her lap. He bent and kissed her again, his mouth lingering on hers. He pulled her to her feet and held her tight against him. Again, she pulled away.

"Draco, I'm not ready yet. I have to put makeup and jewellery on, and I only have twenty minutes."

"Here, this is for you." He handed her a lilac jewellery box and she opened it to find a delicate silver chain from which hung a diamond tear drop, with matching earrings. She smiled her thanks and put them on, before sitting at the vanity and putting on light makeup. The face of Constantine DeVere needed very little makeup. "Are you ready?" Hermione turned around, facing Draco.

"They'll be here, wont they?" She asked, standing. Constantine was only slightly shorter than Draco, even with shoes on. Draco nodded, taking her hand.

"You look beautiful, Flicka. They've never met Lady DeVere, they wont know you. Just remember, pureblood from Ireland." Hermione nodded, closing her eyes briefly.

"Alright." She said. "I can do this."

"You even sound Irish. Shall we?" He offered her his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her out of the room.

Hermione smiled graciously as she met various witches and wizards from the Ministry, and while she saw Harry and Ron at the party, they did not approach. However, Ginny Weasley did.

"Draco! How are you?" she greeted cheerfully. Hermione watched in shock as Draco bowed to her.

"Well enough, considering your brother and his idiot of a idol broke into my house a few days ago and scared the living daylights out of my cousin." Draco rolled his eyes but Ginny frowned.

"What did they do to her?"

"Burst into her room while she was still waking up, then proceed to drag her out demanding to know where Granger was."

"They're looking for her here? What, they think you kidnapped her?" Ginny snorted her disbelief, and Draco's hand tightened on Hermione's. "They've been so upset by her disappearance, looking everywhere for her, they've been devastated."

"I bet they have." Hermione muttered.

"Pardon?" Ginny asked, turning to her. Hermione hurriedly smiled.

"I was only saying I've seen Mr Potter, and his companion, but I havent met them."

"We havent met yet." Ginny said with a laugh. "Draco, your manners are atrocious. My name is Virginia Weasley, but you can call me Ginny if you like."

"Constantine DeVere." Hermione said, extending her hand. Ginny shook it. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"The pleasures all mine. Would you like to meet my fool of a brother and fiance?"

"He's your fiance? Congratulations!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I'd say the congratulations go both ways." Ginny commented, catching Hermione's hand and looking at the opal and diamond ring. "It's beautiful. So you're finally settling down with a wife, Draco?"

"If we can get through the engagement stage, perhaps." He laughed, and Ginny giggled. Hermione smiled.

"He can be difficult to live with." She said in a conspiratory tone. "You would not believe."

"I bet there are perks though." Ginny said wickedly. Hermione raised an eyebrow with a smile.

"Some."

"Oh dear Merlin." Draco muttered under his breath. Ginny and Hermione laughed. "You never change, do you?" He demanded.

"Nope." Both women answered at once before sending surprised glances in each others directions.

"Come on Constantine, lets circle you a bit more. Everyone needs to see my beautiful bride to be."

"You're only showing off the fact that you can get me." Hermione jibed. Ginny whistled softly.

"Good luck, Draco." She turned and weaved her way through the crowd. Hermione and Draco exchanged glances.

"Be careful, Flicka." He whispered, leaning in to her. She rested her head against his for a moment, and could feel his breath against her neck and jaw.

"I know. I'm sorry." She breathed. His hands on hers tightened, her ring biting into her skin before he abruptly released her.

"Potter. Weasley." He said coolly.

"Malfoy. And…" Hermione watched both Harry and Ron look her up and down appreciatively.

"Constantine. Constantine DeVere." Hermione said, extending her right hand. Harry kissed the back of it, and she raised her eyebrows. "How gentlemanly." She commented. She heard Malfoy smirk, but she ignored him.

"I'm Harry Potter and this is Ron Weasley." Harry said importantly.

"Oh. Nice to meet you." She said noncommittantly.

"We work for the auror department of the ministry."

"How nice." She turned to Draco. "Draco, I'm thirsty."

"Alright. Come, we'll get a drink, and then maybe a dance?"

"That sounds lovely." Hermione smiled deprecatingly at Harry and Ron before letting Draco guide her towards the buffet table. She took a deep steadying breath when they got there, and braced herself on the table.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, standing beside her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into him, closing her eyes.

"Tired." She said. "And stressed."

"Draco, my boy! You never told us about your lovely lady!" Draco pulled away from her, and Hermione pasted a smile on her face, turning to the newcomers. Two more Ministry workers approached, though Hermione didn't recognise them.

"Thomson, Effward, this is Constantine DeVere, my fiancee."

"Fiancee? Well, you do keep things quiet." One of the men took Hermione's hand and kissed the back of it, and she bowed her head in response, while he other shook Draco's hand. "Congratualtions, my dear."

"Thank you." Hermione smiled graciously.

"It's a wonderful party you have here, Draco. It seems everyone is here."

"It has been a good turnout, yes."

"You've done a good job of turning over your father's reputation at the Ministry, as well."

"I'm not my father, gentlemen. I have my own reputation, just as he, I am sure, retains his."

"Of course, of course…Draco, if we may have a word?" They glanced at Hermione, who nodded.

"I'll mingle." She said, kissing Draco on the cheek before slipping off through the throngs of people.

She ended up by the drinks table, and after pouring herself a small glass of wine, turned to watch the dancers. There weren't many, but those there were seemed happy enough. Hermione had a sudden moment of melancholy, wishing she was back in her own body, in her own world, in her own life, instead of being some stuck-up multicultural golddigging bitch of a woman who was marrying Draco because of the ring he could put on her finger.

"No Draco? He _is_ neglecting his duties." Hermione looked up to see Harry in front of her. She swallowed.

"Business calls, even at parties, it seems. How are you finding the party?"

"As parties go, pretty average. Though the company has some perks." He smiled, and Hermione suppressed a grimace. "How long have you known Draco?"

"A few months." She answered shortly, trying to get the conversation over with.

"That's quick for an engagement."

"Whirlwind romance." Hermione smiled with a delicate shrug. "We saw each other across a crowded room, and you know how it is."

"Yes…there was a woman I knew like that, once…but she went missing months ago."

"That's terrible!" Hermione exclaimed, her mind working overtime as to how she was going to keep this a a safe, non-revealing conversation. "What was her name?"

"Hermione Granger…you might have heard of her, she was a top auror. But she just disappeared off the face of the earth just before I was going to propose."

"That's awful…but I'm sorry, I can't help. I may have heard her name mentioned once before, but I couldn't tell you anything about her. And just before your engagement…but what about Virginia? I met her earlier, and she said you two were engaged." Hermione frowned as convincingly as she could, and watched as an expression of fury flickered across Harry's face and hoped Ginny would be alright.

"It's very recent…I'm trying to move on from Hermione, and well, Ginny's loved me since we were kids."

"Ah." Hermione said, sipping her wine and resisting the urge to dash the whole thing in his face. The bastard…even if she had believed the story that he was going to ask her to marry him, it was harsh story to spread about Ginny.

"Duty calls." He said, glancing over to where Ginny was approaching them. Hermione nodded, and watching as he disappeared with a sigh.

He was more of a bastard than she had ever imagined.

&

The party dragged on throughout the night, but it was finally finished and Hermione could stand by Draco and wave off the carriages of all the people who weren't taking advantage of Draco's hospitality. Unfortunately, Harry and Ginny were not among those leaving, if nothing else because Harry had gotten sufficiently drunk that Ginny could neither get him home nor trust him to get himself home. Hermione didn't mind the extra female company, however it did mean that she had to leave on the ring and the disguise, and move from her normal room to Draco's to pull off the engaged look.

He had a comfier room than she did anyway.

It was bigger, for a start, with a polished wooden floor with thick rugs covering most of it. There was a huge four poster bed against on wall, and an ensuite bathroom that was practically walled with mirrors, not to mention a huge bath and shower.

When they had finally retired, Hermione had gone straight to the bed and bounced experimentally on it. He watched her with a grin.

"Don't ever grow up." He advised. Hermione stopped and smiled back.

"I wont." She kicked off her shoes, and looked back at him. "Do you have a t-shirt or something I could sleep in?" He nodded, disappearing into the huge walk-in closet and returning with a plain white t-shirt. "Thanks." She took it and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Draco alone in his room. When she returned, he had to forcibly retrain himself from grabbing her and kissing the life out of her.

The t-shirt barely came down to mid-thigh, and every time she took a step he saw a flash of her underwear. He had no idea how he was going to share a bed with her, especially when she looked like that. Still, she was climbing into the bed, snuggling under the covers, that bright red hair contrasting against the dark blue satin sheets.

"Why do you have a nicer bed than me?" She complained, closing her eyes.

'The easier to get you in it,' he thought. "I don't know. I guess because you're sleeping in a guest room, and this is my room." He said. She smiled.

"I like your bed better."

"Clearly." He said, pulling on sweats and climbing into the bed behind her. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Night."

&

She woke up around four and could not get back to sleep. Draco was pressed along her back, his hand on her hip and his face buried in her hair. She lay as still as she could, thinking. But in the end, movement won out over thinking, and as smoothly as she could, she slipped out from under Draco's arm and tiptoed across the room and out the door.

She found herself finally in the kitchen, and for once, it was empty. Clearly the house-elves had gone to bed, of which Hermione firmly approved. The flagstones were icy under her feet, but she ignored it as best she could as she made toast and spread peanut butter on it before hoisting herself up onto the marble counter and swinging her legs gently as she ate it.

It was weird, being the only person awake in the huge Malfoy Manor. Everything was silent, apart from the sound of her own chewing. It gave her a chance to think. It was now, what, late October, and she'd been at the manor nearly four months. In that time she'd discovered her supposedly best friends were trying to murder her, and that Draco cared enough about her well-being to not only keep her at the Manor at great danger to himself, but to risk his life repeatedly by lying to Harry and Ron about her whereabouts.

Plus, there was the ring. It was beautiful, it changed who she was, and it was a Malfoy heirloom. Last time she checked, you didn't just pass off your heirlooms to just anyone, and she couldn't help feeling just a little gratified by it.

"Are you alright?" Her head jerked up and saw saw Draco standing in the doorway, the black sweats constrasting sharply with the pale skin of his flat, chiselled chest – Hermione dragged her eyes back up to his face and saw him watching her with barely concealed amusement.

"I'm fine." She answered. She lifted what was left of her toast and peanut butter. "Just craved peanut butter."

"Right." He walked across the floor towards her, not even wincing at the cold flagstones. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Harry told me about Hermione today. How he was going to ask her to marry him before she disappeared. He seems very upset." Hermione found herself talking about herself in the third person, completely detached. Thought if she thought about it, she came to the conclusion that the woman she was now was not the same woman who had fought Draco tooth and nail when he had kidnapped her.

"That's tragic." He said softly. "Was it true, do you think?" Hermione snorted.

"If it is, he got over her pretty fast, he's engaged to Virginia." Draco raised an eyebrow at her continued persona of Constantine but didn't question it. "He wasn't particularly complimentary about her though."

"How so?" Draco asked, hoisting himself onto the thick wooden table across from her.

"Well, he told me that his marriage to Virginia was a case of him trying to move on from Hermione, and since Virginia has loved him since they were kids…" Draco whistled.

"That's out of line. Even for Potter." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Should I be worried? Or jealous?" She asked. Draco laughed.

"No. As beautiful as Miss Weasley undoubtably is, we're only friends. There is a lot of bad blood between our families. Her brother works with me out of necessity. But she and I are learning to understand each other."

"Although you're more complex than I expected." Both Hermione and Draco jumped, Draco's automatic movement being for him to slide of the table and stand in front of where Hermione rested, half on, half-off the counter. Ginny, standing in the doorway wrapped in a blanket, raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not going to hurt her, Draco." She said softly. "I promise you that. Whyever you're lying to my brother or Harry…for it to be you hiding her…I'm not going to put that in jeapardy."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco said convincingly. Ginny nodded.

"Of course." She paused. "I couldn't help but hear your conversation." Hermione glanced sharply at Draco, but his eyes were fixed on the woman at the door. "Thank you for the compliment, incidentally. But it's you I need to speak to." Ginny transferred her attention to Hermione, who shifted uneasily. "Did Harry really say that to you?"

"Say what?" Hermione asked as innocently as she could.

"That he was using me to get over you."

"Over Hermione." Hermione corrected. "I'm Constantine." Ginny frowned, then nodded minimally. "Sit down." Hermione gestured to a chair and Ginny came in, wincing at the cold floor and dropping into the chair. "Ginny, he was never going to ask Hermione to marry him. They just weren't like that."

"They weren't?" Ginny seemed very small.

"Not at all." Hermione said gently, finding Draco's hand and holding onto it tightly.

"So why is he telling people he was?" She asked.

"It's a cover." Draco said softly. "He wants to find Hermione very badly, but not because he loved her." Ginny looked at him and Draco sighed. "Ginny, Harry is an occlumens. No offense but anything we say he can pick out of your mind. We've already said too much. You know too much."

"That's alright." Ginny said softly. "It takes one word to get rid of it."

"You want us to obliviate you?" Hermione demanded, aghast.

"I want to know, for a second, why. Why you're here, why Draco took you. Why Harry is looking for you."

"He wants to kill me." Hermione said. "And Draco doesn't want me dead."

"How ironic." Ginny said. "Do it. Now." Hermione frowned.

"Obliviate." Draco said cooly. Hermione spun to look at him.

"Draco!"

"My apologies, Ginny." Draco said. "I didn't hear what you said last." Ginny looked around, confused.

"I just wanted a drink." She said, her voice sounding bewildered. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"You weren't." Draco said gently. "Constantine and I were having a snack is all. Care to join us?" Ginny shook her head.

"I should get back. Goodnight." Ginny smiled and headed back upstairs. Hermione whirled on Draco.

"You!" She hissed angrily. Draco looked at her evenly. "You-"

"I did what she asked me to do. And she asked me to do it out of care for you." Draco said, his voice flat, brooking no argument. "Because she knows as well as I do that any knowledge of you will go straight from her mind to Potter's, and then it wont matter if you're here or not."

"But you-"

"Would you prefer it if I had killed her?" Draco demanded, stepping into her personal space, forcing her to back up until she hit the counter. "Because that was my other option. A little obvious, but I'm sure I could have thought of a convincing cover story." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"That's not funny." She snapped.

"I'm. Not. Laughing." Draco replied tightly, leaning further into her space. "I have tried to make you understand, Hermione, but it seems you don't. For all his idiocies at school, Potter is the best auror in this country. You saw how easily he can break into my house, despite all the wards I have up. If he knows you are here, he will come. And when he finds you, because he will, he will kill you. You could be in the garden, in the library or in your room. He will walk in, say those two words, and leave. And I will find your corpse on the floor. Potter is not your friend anymore." He held her chin in one hand and met her gaze. "He will not repent, and he will not suddenly change your mind. He will kill you." Hermione tried to look away but Draco held tight, forcing her to look at him. "I am not going to let that happen. Do you understand that?" She nodded slowly, the movement awkward against his tight grip. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. "You done?" He nodded at the toast crust in her hand and she nodded, binning the crust and following him out the door.

"Draco?" She asked softly as she followed him up the stairs. He paused, taking her hand before continuing up the stairs.

"Yes?" he asked, his gaze focused straight ahead.

"Thank you." Hermione watched his fair head turn as his stone-grey eyes met her brown. He squeezed her hand in response and continued up the stairs, leading her back to his bedroom.

&

_I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that._

The danger had seemed closer then. Both Hermione and Draco were on edge, like they could feel the end approaching. They slept in the same bed now, not necessarily for sex, but because then they could check then other was still there, and that the nightmares that plagued their sleep weren't real. That he hadn't failed to protect her, and she hadn't been taken and killed. More and more they couldn't bear to be apart, anxious paranoia seeing aurors in every shadow.

Hermione stared out the window, aware that night was passing and the sun was rising. It sent tentative rays across the dark forest where Hermione had nearly suffocated that time she tried to escape, and she sighed, shifting her position on the window seat, her gaze flicking back to the letter that sat in front of her.

_And know that I believed in you._

&


	6. Chapter 6

&

Hermione was sitting in the gazebo, working her way through a thick book from the Malfoy library when she heard the commotion. She had risen and was standing facing the house when Dimmy appeared.

"Mistress." The small creature gasped. "Aurors!" Hermione grabbed for the golden ball in her pocket, twisting the ring around her finger for reassurance. She closed her eyes and imagined the imperious beauty of Constantine and when she opened her eyes, she could see long red hair flowing over her shoulder. She quickly twisted it up and strode towards the house, much to the House Elf's horror.

"What is Merlin's name is going on?" She demanded of the aurors standing in the foyer. Amadeo had met them, though it looked like he had only recently returned as he still wore his cloak and gloves and carried a cane, the very image of haughty aristocracy.

"Ah, darling Constantine." Amadeo drawled with barely concealed sarcasm. "The Ministry has come to pay us another visit. Feel honoured." Hermione shot his a cool look and looked at the aurors. Harry and Ron weren't in the small group of four, but Hermione recognised Seamus Finnegan.

"I presume you have a reason for disturbing this house." Hermione asked flatly. The aurors exchanged looks.

"We've got a warrant for Evangeline Malfoy." One said, mustering the courage to step forward. Hermione sent him a look to freeze water in July.

"Evangeline?" Hermione repeated. "She's not here. Vacationing elsewhere."

"Where?" Another auror asked eagerly, stepping forward.

"Why should I know? I'm neither her mother nor her nurse." Hermione said in clipped tones.

"Are you responsible for her?" The auror asked. Hermione glared.

"No."

"Where is Mr Malfoy?" The third, so far silent auror, asked. Hermione turned her cool green gaze on him.

"I assume you're speaking of Draco." She said, her tone brooking no interruptions. "He's currently dealing with business elsewhere."

"We have a warrant for his arrest." Hermione's heart fell like a rock.

"I beg your pardon?" She said, struggling for composure.

"Mr Malfoy is accused of treason, of shielding a fugitive, a Miss Hermione Granger who we believe is masquerading as Evangeline Malfoy, and of obstruction of justice and ministerial activities." The fourth auror stepped forward and pushed his hood back, revealing Pansy Zabini, nee Parkinson. Hermione didn't even know she was an auror.

"Evangeline Malfoy is Draco's cousin." Hermione argued. "I've met her myself."

"Then you were lied to, Miss DeVere." Pansy said, the ice in her voice matching Hermione's. "Mr Malfoy has one female cousin, whose name is not Evangeline but Esmerelda, and she lives in Spain. Which leaves Evangeline as the free radical who doesn't quite fit." Hermione raised her chin, folding her arms. "When is Mr Malfoy due to return?" Pansy demanded. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"When he arrives, of course." Hermione replied. "Until then, I will ask you to leave. I'm sure if you make a date to meet him, Draco will receive you with all the civility you deserve." Pansy seemed taken aback by the Empress-like woman in front of her. "Now I am asking you to leave." Hermione smiled slowly, a snake-smile that boded not well for the aurors assembled before her. "Now." Pansy tried staring the red-headed woman down, the woman who had presumably replaced her in Draco's affections, but found herself looking away almost immediately. It was very clear who had the upper hand here.

"Your fiance has mixed himself up in some very dirty dealings." Pansy spat. "He'll be going to Azkaban for what he's done. Enjoy being married to a criminal, Miss DeVere." Hermione didn't deign to respond, merely staring Pansy down until the other woman flustered and with a sharp gesture, apparated from the building, the other three aurors following suit. Hermione gave a big sigh and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, Amadeo was looking at her thoughtfully.

"You did very well just there." He commented. Hermione nodded, hugging herself as though she was cold. There was a long pause before she answered.

"Game's up, isn't it?" She asked finally. Amadeo looked at her with something like understanding in his eyes before nodding slowly.

"Yes." He answered. "Yes, it is."

&

_I didn't want to see you lose faith in the world, didn't want to see your light go out_

Hermione remembered that day and night, the way she paced back and forth across the foyer for hours, still wearing the image of Constantine DeVere, twisting the beautiful ring around her finger. The way Amadeo stood motionless in the shadows, his face and hair seeming to glow white against the black shadows.

The way they waited for Draco to come home, both ignoring the niggling thought in the back of their minds that he wasn't coming back.

Even now, sat by the window in the early morning, the memory made Hermione shiver. She remembered the long-clawed fingers of fear that clutched at her stomach that night. She tipped her head back against the casement, closing her eyes and feeling the draught from the window across her throat like an ethereal blade.

She genuinely didn't know how to live without him any more. This was nothing like what she had ever expected from her life, from him, from this whole situation.

_Just remember that you are loved and you are needed and I couldn't bear it if you died._

When Draco appeared in the foyer, Hermione nearly fainted from relief, and found herself sinking to the floor as her vision swam. Draco was at her side in a second, grasping her shoulder and touching her face, calling her name again and again. Amadeo came up behind him and slapped her sharply and she gasped, eyes opening and mind clearing.

"Hermione!" Draco said again, panic tinging his voice. He grabbed her hand and wrenched the ring off her finger, watching anxiously as Constantine faded to Hermione. "Hermione, answer me! What happened?" Hermione flung herself into his arms, sobbing as she clutched at him. Draco looked at Amadeo over her shoulder.

"Amadeo?" He asked. The other Malfoy looked from Hermione to Draco.

"Game's up." He said quietly. "They've found her. And know about you." Draco paled, making his eyes seem darker.

"Study." Draco said. "We need to make plans." Amadeo nodded, and Draco stood, helping Hermione to do so as well. "Hermione?"

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered, pulling back to meet his gaze. "When they came for Evangeline…I thought you'd been caught. And then you didn't come back for so long…" Draco nodded.

"It's alright." He said soothingly, "I'm here now. Come on." She nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead her up the stairs to the study.

&


	7. Chapter 7

&

_Take care of yourself, my love._

The day passed and Hermione didn't move. Her body tried a couple of time to remind her that she was hungry, but she ignored it. She could feel it stiffening, like a pre-death rigor mortis. Amadeo had tried, too, bringing her drinks and food himself, trying to get her to talk. But she was silent, her eyes distant and her skin cold. She was losing herself in the memories of him, even those from school. She remembered the common room fights, and the one time he had effectively shut her up by kissing her hard. She'd reeled from that kiss for the next ten minutes, unable to understand what the hell was going on. He hadn't understood it either, she could tell from the look on his face.

And then, of course, he'd been an utter bastard to her to punish her for confusing him so. She hadn't understood at the time, but now, knowing him like she did, she understood perfectly.

She didn't even know if he was alive.

_Remember what you told me…_

&

The study was warm and welcoming, the fire big in the hearth, casting golden light across the small room, reflecting off the wooden panels. The candles in the sconces were all lit, casting their own light. Draco and Amadeo sat in the two armchairs facing the fire, and Hermione sat in Draco's lap, her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder, held secure by his arms tight around her waist.

"So they came for Evangeline?" Draco said again. "But didn't click that it was you."

"They know Evangeline is me." Hermione said. "They researched it, knew Esmerelda was your only female cousin. But they didn't know Constantine was me." He nodded, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "What are we going to do?" She asked softly. Draco looked at Amadeo and she knew instantly they had discussed this already. Probably in some depth.

"You will stay here with Amadeo." Draco said. Hermione opened her mouth to protest but he shook his head. "Listen to me, Flicka." He reprimanded gently. She fell silent. "They won't expect me to leave you here, my love." He rested his forehead against her temple, his breath warm on her cheek. "I will go on an extended business trip. Very extended."

"You're leaving me." She whispered. Draco shut his eyes, her words ripping through him.

"I will never leave you." He said tightly, feeling his heart clench knowing he was telling a lie. Spiritual promises were all well and good, but he was still physically leaving her. Her hand twisted around his lapel, holding tightly. "You will take the image of Constantine on all public occasions, Amadeo will guide you through anything you need to know." Hermione frowned.

"Like what?"

"Hermione, this is going to make the media." Amadeo said. She turned to look at him and found herself locked in his piercing gaze. "There will be reporters, and they will ask you questions." Hermione's mind was spinning, she couldn't think straight. Amadeo paused for a moment, then lifted his chin. "So, Miss DeVere." He began, an impression of a reporter, "How does it feel knowing that your fiance risked everything to say a mudblood fugitive and lost everything?" Hermione stared, unable to answer. Then she took a deep breath.

"No comment." She replied icily. Amadeo smiled with a small nod. She looked away from him, back to Draco.

"I am so proud of you." Draco whispered. She closed her eyes against the tears that welled up again and felt him kiss her eyelids. "I love you."

&

They were lying in bed, skin to skin and breath to breath, trying to forget that all this was happening. But every breath, every second, took him farther away from her. He was asleep, as per male tradition, and Hermione lay and watched him sleep. She watched the nightmare come on, as his eyes flickered faster beneath his eyelids, felt him shift in his sleep and heard him whimper. She reached up and stroked his face and hair, bringing him out of the bad dream and into the half-waking reality of the very early morning.

"It's dark." He said softly. "It was so dark, and I couldn't see you." She nodded, pressing her forehead to his and brushing her nose against its counterpart. "What am I going to do?" He asked. She smiled weakly.

"In the dark?" She asked. He nodded, burying closer to her, pulling her tightly against him. "Look for the light." He smiled and kissed her.

"You're my Light." He said. Hermione closed her eyes tightly, feeling his hands trail over her body. It was ending, she could feel it.

"Then you'll always find me." She whispered, tears escaping her eyes and trailing down her face to the pillow. He opened his eyes and looked at her, his beautiful angel, the innocent fugitive, his Light in the dark.

"I'll always find you." He promised.

&

_Look for the light in dark places._

Hermione could feel it stirring in her, like the waiting was over. She slowly unfolded herself from her sitting position, registering that she badly needed the toilet. She stood, then slowly folded to the floor as her vision blacked out and her mind reeled dizzily. She hadn't eaten in nearly a week.

"Hermione!" Amadeo was at her side, so like Draco yet so different. "Hermione!"

"I'm fine, Amadeo." She said, pushing his hands away and rising to her feet. She pushed her hair back off her face and looked at him. He was watching her through perceptive grey-green eyes. "How long has it been?" He raised an eyebrow.

"A month." He answered. She frowned.

"What?" He nodded.

"Are you ready, now?" He asked. She was confused, unsure about the time that had passed. A month, a week…it was all blended together in her head. She was sure it hadn't been a month.

"It hasn't been a month." She argued. "Two weeks, max." He smiled.

"That's good." He said. "You're arguing."

"You're lying." She snapped. "Two weeks."

"A month." Amadeo reiterated. "You slept for the first two weeks, Hermione."

"I did not sleep for two weeks. Nobody does unless-" she stopped, suddenly understanding. Amadeo nodded, looking away, his gaze falling on the letter. He picked it up and scanned through it without asking. Hermione sat down woodenly.

"He put me to sleep for two weeks?" She asked weakly. Amadeo looked down at her. "Why?" Amadeo shrugged.

"He must have had his reasons, Hermione." He answered. She took a deep breath and stood up again, a purposeful look in her eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm finding the light in the dark." She said flatly, turning her back on him and the letter and striding out the door. She'd spent a year at the Manor, and if Draco thought putting her to sleep for two weeks would stop her, he was wrong.

Though she suspected the two weeks was to give him a head start.

_I love you always. Draco._

&

Finis.


	8. The Letter

_Dear Hermione. _

_Your freedom is now a matter of your own choosing, and there is little more I can do for you. As far as I know, the danger is past… and if it isnt…you know that my house is safe for you. I've taught you what I can to keep you from being found if the need arises, in the hope that one of us at least will live to the end of our lives without being hunted. I know you didn't come here willingly, and perhaps you'll never understand or accept what I did. But I did the only thing I could think of when I knew of your danger. I never wanted to hurt you. and I'm sorry if I did. I only wanted to keep you safe. I wanted you to know that not everyone would betray you. Wanted to prove that at least one person would always be there for you. No matter what._

_I know I took you against your will but I never would have been able to convince you to come with me otherwise. There is too much behind us for that to have ever been possible.My home is always open to you, I swear. It's come to the point now where I can no longer keep you with me, for both our sakes and safeties, they search for you still, by letting the Muggle authorities look for you. And I…they suspect that not everything I do is for their benefit, and I fear they suspect me of safeguarding you. I will not let you go, I will not risk you. Not now, after everything. I never meant to hurt you, you have to know that. And know that I believed in you. I didn't want to see you lose faith in the world, didn't want to see your light go out. I couldn't have borne that. Just remember that you are loved and you are needed and I couldn't bear it if you died. Take care of yourself, and remember what you told me: Look for the light in dark places._

_I love you always._

_Draco._

&


	9. A final note

Hey guys

Thanks for the amazing reviews you've been sending me, its awesome that you really like my stories. Sorry this isn't a new chapter, but instead this is just to tell you about the sequel, already finished and online, called Divided We Stand, United We Fall. Personally, I think the sequel is the better of the two, so I'd love to know what you think.

Enjoy your reading and Merry Christmas!

Istalindar


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